Song of the sea

Hear it at the Peabody

NEW HAVEN - Science writer Todd McLeish will visit the Yale Peabody of Natural History to share insights on rare marine creatures plying waters of the New England coastline and relate stories of his adventures working with biologists to monitor and protect the species at 5:30 p.m. March 25.
The talk is free and open to the public, organizers said in a statement.
While researching his latest book "Basking with Humpbacks," McLeish "tagged basking sharks to learn where they give birth, helped harbor porpoises escape from fishing nets, snorkeled in search of wild bay scallops, and learned how the blood of horseshoe crabs is used in medical research," the statement said.

"Along the way he visited the islands where rare seabirds nest, tracked humpback whales on their long migration to the Gulf of Maine, and watched as stranded sea turtles were released back to the ocean."
McLeish, shown in photo, will sign copies of "Basking with Humpbacks," his second natural history book, which profiles 11 of the rarest and threatened species of wildlife living in the marine environment around New England. This program is part of the series "Nature’s Narrators: The 2009–2010 John H. Ostrom Program Series.”
McLeish has been writing about wildlife and environmental issues for more than 20 years, the statement said.

While earning degrees in communications at Ithaca College and Emerson College, he developed a passion for wildlife, natural history and environmental protection, it said. Rather than pursue a biology degree, he immersed himself in the natural world by volunteering to help biologists with their wildlife research and write about these experiences.

In more than 100 magazine and newspaper articles, he has written about sensitive timely issues, highlighted threatened species, and profiled biologists and wildlife artists, the statement said.

Editor's Note: this information was provided by the Peabody Museum.